Check Out How Hot Temperature Affects Your Windshield

Scorching summer heat is repulsive, not just for humans but even for car windshields. A lot of car owners are of the notion that the greatest threats to their windshield for car are pebbles, dust, and rocks. Well, though such notorious agents are the most common agents for windshield damage, there are other subtle culprits that often go unnoticed and hot temperature is one of them.

Let us find out how exactly your windshield in car gets affected by high temperatures.

How Does Hot Temperature Affect the Windshield of Car?

Summers are scorching hot with the sun beating down on you every time you step out of your home. If you have parked your car outside and it has been under direct sunlight, especially four hours on end, the windshield glass will heat up. If you want to see just how hot your windshield of car can get, try laying your palm against the outside of your windshield while your car has been parked outside on a hot day.

In extremely hot temperatures, turning your car’s air-conditioner on after your car’s been sitting in the sun can make the windshield susceptible to cracks, breaks, and splits. This is because temperature swings can put extra stress on the windshield of car. This can even cause existing cracks or chips on your windshield to spread or widen considerably.

Why Does This Happen?

You should know that the cause of windshield damage is not necessarily from the hot temperature itself but the rapid temperature fluctuations or the alteration of two temperature extremes - hot and cold that compromises the integrity of the glass and causes windshield impairment. The difference in temperatures between the interior and exterior of your car can add pressure on your windshield, causing cracks or splits to develop.

This can occur not only when it is hot outside and you are blasting the air conditioner inside your car, but it can also happen when the weather is cold outside and you have cranked up your heater to the highest. It is these contrasting temperatures that can cause gradual deterioration of your windshield of car. 

Fluctuating temperatures can also become a huge threat to an already damaged windshield. Windshield cracks are more likely to spread during temperature alterations as glass tends to expand when it’s hot and contract under cold temperature conditions.

How to Protect Your Windshield?

To safeguard your windshield, always make sure to park your car in a garage or basement or under covered areas. If you have parked your car outside, always ensure to cover your car to avoid direct sunlight, especially if its windshield already has chips or cracks. You also need to be careful about the car's internal temperature. It is recommended that you take time in cooling your car’s interiors during the hot summer season and similarly during the winters, you should invest time in heating the interiors. Don’t switch the air-conditioner on to cool rapidly as the sudden change in internal temperature can affect the windshield glass’ structural integrity.

You should turn on your car’s cooling system to low at first instead of going full-steam at once when you get inside the car. Similarly, during winters, let the windshield warm up slowly instead of turning on the defroster too high. Also, do not pour boiling water to warm up the windshield as a sudden change in temperature can cause the windshield glass to expand, hence causing damage.

Don’t Neglect a Damaged Windshield

If you notice that your windshield has been damaged due to temperature fluctuations, no matter how small, you need to immediately seek professional help. If the windshield damage is in the driver’s line-of-sight, it can become an obstruction and become a major hindrance to safe driving. A damaged windshield can render the roof of your car weak, increasing the chances of it collapsing and crushing you in a rollover. In the event of a direct collision, the windshield is installed in the car to reduce the brunt of the impact but a damaged windshield will be unable to do so. Your windshield also assists in the proper deployment of airbags, but if it is damaged, airbag deployment will be hampered. If you are not wearing seatbelts, you are under grave danger of being thrown out of the vehicle during accidents as a damaged windshield will not support proper airbag deployment.

Has the heat taken a toll on your windshield for car? No problem! Get it checked by the trained experts at AIS Windshield Experts and we will take care of your windshield. As India’s largest automotive glass repair and replacement network and as a subsidiary of Asahi India Glass Limited, we own 100% genuine, OEM-grade windshields and our trained experts use top-of-the-line equipment for windshield repair and replacement. You can check windshield repair and windshield replacement to know more about our services.

Either drive into one of our 90+ conveniently-located service centres across 50+ cities or call us at 1800 102 6364 and we will meet you whenever and wherever.

So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today!